Please grab the button code above and put it on your blog or the post you’re linking up. You can also add a text link back to this hop on your blog post. Note: By sharing your link up on this blog hop you are giving us permission to feature your blog post with pictures, and to pin your link up in our Creative Kids Culture Feature board on Pinterest.

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The Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop will go live on the 3rd Sunday of the month. It will run for three weeks. The following blog hop we will feature a previous link up post, and if you're featured, don't forget to grab the button below:

My children are not learning Chinese, however they have many friends who have at least one of their parents who is Chinese. Leaving in Germany or France means for them that they have to rely on their parents (and sometimes grand-parents) to teach them their mother tongue. Chinese schools (on saturday or in the afternoon) can be found in several cities but it's not always possible for the children to attend the classes. Having helpful and good resources on line can be a great advantage for families. So thank you Miss Panda Chinese for this list of resources!

Thank you for linking-up, and we can't wait to see what you've been up to!

vendredi 26 mai 2017

Ramadan is starting tomorrow, Saturday 27th, 2017. Here is a guest post from Sarah Ager - a Christian UK girl who converted to Islam and is now happily married to a Muslim man and lives in Italy - who is the curator of Interfaith Ramadan (this text was written in 2016, but I kinda lost her text until this week when I found it by accident on my computer... God moves in mysterious ways):

As people of faith, we sometimes act under the assumption that
ours is the only way of perceiving God. We hold this view even though Muslims
make up only a seventh of the world's population. We sometimes forget that we
live in a multi-cultural world alongside people of many diverse beliefs and
faith backgrounds, who have their own unique ways of approaching and perceiving
the Divine.

There are many lenses through which people perceive the world –
the Bible, the Torah, the Qur'an, the Bhagavad Gita – to name just a few. There
are a wealth of religious and non-religious texts which guide people in their
daily lives – just as the Qur'an acts as a moral compass for Muslims.

In our increasingly globalised world, constant contact with other backgrounds
and faiths make it imperative to learn more about the diversity of our
neighbors because we are all an intrinsic part of the communities in which we
live. Developing mutual respect, rather than merely tolerating one another, is
not something that can be learned overnight. Through reaching out and speaking
openly we can begin to nurture genuine appreciation for the ways others express
their faith.

Without education, we can all too easily develop an irrational
fear and mistrust of those we deem to be 'other'. This is especially true
between people of different faiths, and when political groups, individuals, and
certain factions of the Media so often seek to divide by exploiting and
exaggerating religious difference.

Fear and mistrust of people based on assumptions of race or
faith are at the core of countless acts of discrimination. To overcome this
problem, we need open and constructive communication – the foundation of all
positive relationships.

Through interfaith, an all-encompassing and inclusive way of interacting with
one another, we endeavour to transcend human-made boundaries and make personal
connections with people from all faith and non-faith backgrounds. Interfaith
invites us to come as individuals with personal stories rather than being
burdened with collective responsibility and representation of an entire faith
community. Through sharing we gain greater understanding and become more
inclusive in our interactions with the people around us.

As a Muslim from a predominantly Christian family, my inspiration for promoting
interfaith is not only social, as a means of strenghtening ties with family and
friends, but also deeply spiritual. Interfaith is not a foreign concept to
Islam, it is in fact an intrinsic part of our faith. Within the pages of the
Qur’an, we are called to protect “cloisters and churches and synagogues and
mosques, wherein the name of God is oft commemorated” (Qur'an, 22:40). In
his lifetime, Muhammad ﷺencouraged and was actively involved in interfaith.

On one such occasion, Muhammad ﷺmet with a delegation of Christian Chiefs from Najran and
together they signed a peace treaty which included the terms;

“No
compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their
jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of
their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims'
houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and
disobey His Prophet.”

Alongside the promise that the Christians of Najran could worship freely, the
treaty also included the understanding that “their Churches are to be
respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the
sacredness of their covenants,” meaning they would be able to uphold their
faith tradition alongside Muslims in the Arabian Peninsula.

It is clear that building strong communities by taking care of all those within
it is an integral part of Islam and should be considered the duty of Muslims
who strive to please Allah. The fighting we see between faith groups, and even within them, hurts the whole
community and goes against the golden rules of each faith, from the Christian
concept of loving our neighbour and the Islamic principle that doing harm to
another human being is as if you have hurt the whole of mankind, symbolising
our intrinsic interconnectness.

Present day examples of interfaith in action include the iconic images of
Muslims protecting Coptic Christians in Egypt during the 2011 Arab Spring and
more recently, Christians providing refuge for persecuted Muslims in the
Central African Republic despite the serious risk to their own lives. On a
smaller but no less significant scale, there are regular and heartening stories
of religious groups coming together to help other groups in times of need, from
churches providing safe spaces for Muslims to pray during far-right protests in
various European cities, to Muslims looking after synagogues in Kolkata.

On a more local level, Interfaith helps us to develop new and comprehensive
ways of speaking in our daily lives that respects differences, and brings
people together based on shared values. This inclusivity feeds into all our
relationships, with family, friends, co-workers etc, and is particularly
relevant for converts who have non-muslim family members or those in interfaith
families. The tools of interfaith can also aid us in much needed intrafaith
dialogue, creating stronger ties between different groups under the umbrella of
Islam.

Although Interfaith dialogue invites us to share our personal
experience of faith, we should remember that interfaith is not about throwing a
net to catch potential converts. Critics of Muslim-based interfaith initiatives
have argued that it's cleverly disguised dawah of the "creeping
sharia" variety. Similarily, many Christian websites have written articles
which recommend interfaith dialogue as a way of proselityising and essentially
going undercover to gather information about how best to convert members of
certain religious or secular groups. It is important to recognise the fine line
between education and evangelism. Trust is crucial for open dialogue but it
cannot develop if we suspect the other party is trying to boost their own
numbers. Instead, interfaith offers us a safe space where we are able to come
together, explore our similarities, change stereotypes, and build relationships
based on constructive communication.

For people of faith, learning about other religions allows us to gain insight
into how others worship and, ideally, helps us to deepen our connection with
God while honouring our own faith tradition. Interfaith dialogue and hands on
engagement provides us an opportunity to gain insight into our own tradition as
we explain our beliefs to others and in turn learn how how faith is viewed
through the lens of other faith traditions. In his book 'The Good of Religious
Pluralism, Austrian-American sociologist Peter Berger states that 'pluralism
influences individual believers and religious communities to distinguish
between the core of their faith and less central elements'. As a result of
pluralism, Mormon writer Daniel Peterson believes that we not only gain
intellectual benefits from engaging with other but we also 'become better by interacting with
people different from ourselves.' People of diverse faiths share a common
journey as learners and as seekers towards a better self and a better faith
community in which we are a part.

Although we may be strolling down different paths, we are all on
journeys seeking to find meaning in our lives, be our best selves, and for
those who have faith, grow closer to our Creator. Interfaith dialogue reminds
us of how much richer our lives can be when we strive towards these goals hand
in hand.

Please grab the button code above and put it on your blog or the post you’re linking up. You can also add a text link back to this hop on your blog post. Note: By sharing your link up on this blog hop you are giving us permission to feature your blog post with pictures, and to pin your link up in our Creative Kids Culture Feature board on Pinterest.

Don't be a stranger, and share some comment love! Visit the other links, and comment. Everyone loves comments!

The Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop will go live on the 3rd Sunday of the month. It will run for three weeks. The following blog hop we will feature a previous link up post, and if you're featured, don't forget to grab the button below:

Well, we live in Germany and all my kids' grand-parents are in France. It's not far away and at the same time, we can't see them as often as we would like. We are already doing some of the things listed, however I know many other people would be interested in those ideas!

Thank you for linking-up, and we can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Durant ces mois d'absence sur mon blog, ma famille a vécu beaucoup de choses! Je vous en parle bientôt!
***
In all those months of non blogging, my family lived many things! I will tell you soon about some of them.

Hello everyone!

It's so strange for me to come back on this blog. So many things have happened since September 2016.

I thought often to write on La Cité des Vents, I didn't want to stop, I just wanted to take a rest to find a better balance between my work and my family life. And then, weeks and months passed by, and as writing in my blog wasn't anymore in my schedule, I didn't even try to find time for it.

It's thanks to my friends from Multicultural Kid Blogs that I'm coming back! They helped me to see that if we don't make a conscious effort to open our blog and begin to write... well, no one will do it for you! Even if we have time, many ideas, we need the will to make important things happen,

So here is my advice for today: set yourself to work right now to realise your projects, don't postpone because later will become "never". Indeed no one will do it in your stead.

Please grab the button code above and put it on your blog or the post you’re linking up. You can also add a text link back to this hop on your blog post. Note: By sharing your link up on this blog hop you are giving us permission to feature your blog post with pictures, and to pin your link up in our Creative Kids Culture Feature board on Pinterest.

Don't be a stranger, and share some comment love! Visit the other links, and comment. Everyone loves comments!

The Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop will go live on the 3rd Sunday of the month. It will run for three weeks. The following blog hop we will feature a previous link up post, and if you're featured, don't forget to grab the button below:

If you want to help your children learn geography and other important facts about our world, this post should be interesting for you. Practical Mom has come with a nice cross between a where's Wally and a map hunt game. As my son loves both Wally and maps, I think we're going to do that activity during the next holidays.

Thank you for linking-up, and we can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Please grab the button code above and put it on your blog or the post you’re linking up. You can also add a text link back to this hop on your blog post. Note: By sharing your link up on this blog hop you are giving us permission to feature your blog post with pictures, and to pin your link up in our Creative Kids Culture Feature board on Pinterest.

Don't be a stranger, and share some comment love! Visit the other links, and comment. Everyone loves comments!

The Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop will go live on the 3rd Sunday of the month. It will run for three weeks. The following blog hop we will feature a previous link up post, and if you're featured, don't forget to grab the button below:

This month, I would like to feature a post from Crafty Moms Share about an activity I rather enjoy: coloring!

The Colors of Asiaseems to be one of those coloring book that can both help you de-stress and teach you about design and cultures. The fact that you can learn which country has inspired which drawing is a definite bonus!

Thank you for linking-up, and we can't wait to see what you've been up to!

mercredi 3 août 2016

Many songs have been written for the opening or closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games. We will talk about some of them that have been and are still loved around the world.

Olympics

Barcelona, Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé. Barcelona 1992

This, this is the first song I really remember when someone talks about the Olympics. Not because I remember the opening ceremony with the big screen showing the recorded video of the two singers, just a few months after Freddie Mercury's death. It's just because I sung it with my middle school choir during several concerts. This song always gave me the chills and a "je ne sais quoi"... I will always have a special place in my heart for it.

Reach, Gloria Estefan. Atlanta 1996

This song talks about motivation and going beyond oneself... and it's not only in sports but also in life in general. In facts, it was written six years after Gloria's car crash in which she had her spine fractured. She succeeded in overcoming her pain and was able to walk again. That's a powerful song, isn't it?

One moment in time, Whitney Houston. Seoul 1988

If this video-clip doesn't represent the Olympic Games, I don't know what could! Whitney received an Emmy Award for it in 2008.

Hand in hand, Koreana. Seoul 1988

You will see in the clip that on the official korean TV, the opening ceremony was translated in Korean Sign Language. As the song talks about cooperation and frienship, this seems rather fitting!

The Flame, Tina Arena. Sydney 2000

The singer Tina Arena sung it with a children choir and it's one of the best remembered singing act of an Olympics ceremony.

Heroes live forever, Vanessa Amorosi. Sydney 2000

I discovered this song while researching for this post and I totally felt in love with it! What a beautiful and powerful voice! The lyrics are not bad either...

Championships

Every football / soccer fan knows it: for each world cup or regional championship, songs are recorded and (heavily) passed on the radios. Here are 5 memorables, that could also aplied for Olympics athletes.

La Copa de la Vida, Ricky Martin. France 1998

We are the champions, Queen. USA 1994

Magic in the air, Magic System. Brazil 2014

In France, it was the biggest hit with the song from Shakira (La la la) and the one from Germany (Auf Uns, from Andreas Bourani) during the 2014 Wordl Cup.

Bonus

It's not a song, but I'm sure you are as fan as I am of this video sequence!

*****

Welcome to our Olympics for Kids series! The Olympics are a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about the world and explore cultures together. Today, you can find more about other music posts about various countries thanks to our participating bloggers:

vendredi 29 juillet 2016

France has seen many Olympic Games. As the "founder", Baron Pierre de Coubertin was French, France and French have strong ties with them.

Winter Games:

Three times France has been the host: 1924 was the first time the Winter Games took place, and it was in Chamonix. 5 sports for 9 different competitions... Quite less than our actual Olympic Games with 7 sports and 15 disciplines.

Second time was in Grenoble in 1968: 37 nations were present for the tenth Winter Games.

Third time in Albertville, in 1992, was my first real exposition to winter sports on television. I was 10 and I loved to watch biathlon, bobsleigh, figure skating (that's a sport I already watched), or ski jumping.

Summer Games:

Paris held two times the Olympics: in 1900 and 1924. The 1924 Games (VIIIth Olympics) saw 44 nations competing. 17 sports and 23 disciplines were "fought" by 2954 men and 135 women.

Welcome to our Olympics for Kids series! The Olympics are a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about the world and explore cultures together. Today, you can find more geography and flag posts about various countries thanks to our participating bloggers:

lundi 25 juillet 2016

Visiting France for foreigners has a feel of "Yes, I've been there!!!" However, if some places are huge touristic areas (say: Paris city, Alsace, Côte d'Azur, Provence, Vallée de la Loire, the island of Corse, etc), the possibilities for enjoying my lovely country are far more diverse.

As the Olympic Games will start next month, let see which sports you can try while touring France. [Post from the MKB series during the 2016 Olympic Games]

Hiking in the mountains

A definitly easy (or not) sport to do! France has several mountain ranges, some high (Alpes, Pyrénées) and others more medium (Vosges, Massif Central). Ask the tourist office in the city or village of your choice, and they will explain you all the hiking roads and paths in the area!

Hiking in the mountains was part of my childhood experiences. Living at the foot of the Pyrénées (in Céret, Pyrénées-Orientales), each year my scholls organized a pic-nic in the mountains. We even crossed a couple of time the border between France and Spain... and if the teachers hadn't tell us, we would have never known! Because a pathway on the top of a mountain looks the same in both countries. ;-)

Pétanque

Nothing is like pétanque when in holidays. That's the friendly yet competitive, slow yet precise, sport you can enjoy with your family, friends or people you know nothing about. It's a custom in the South of France, and you can play it in the whole country (we even have some pétanque sand pit in my town in Germany!!!) Be careful not to lose the cochonnet, and don't walk in the middle of game: you would be in serious danger of "verbal abuse" from the players you have disturbed. Pétanque is not a child game, it's serious matter!

Horse riding

If you like horseriding, France has many opportunities for you to both discover the landscape and have a good time with a horse. Riding in woods, in the countryside or on the beaches, pick what you prefer!

Rock Climbing

I tried it once in my childhood, but I'm not as balanced as needed for this sport. On this website, you have a list of all the good rock climbing places in France. You can't say you didn't know where to go!

Char à voile

The website of the French federation lists all the clubs where you can do some char à voile. My son has seen a video of that sport and now he can't wait to be big enough to try it! (Have I told you how adventurous he is?)

Skiing and everything "winter sports"

This is it! You're coming to France in winter, and you would be eager to mix touring and winter sports? Haha! We have everything you want (and more) in France! It's not for nothing that the Winter Olympic Games have been held 3 times in my country (in the Alpes)! If you go to Chamonix, Grenoble or Albertville, you will be able to play many winter sports. But you have also wonderful ski pists in the Pyrénées.

Welcome to our Olympics for Kids series! The Olympics are a wonderful opportunity to teach kids about the world and explore cultures together. Today, you can find more about other travel posts about various countries thanks to our participating bloggers: